Preaching, says professor and author O. Wesley Allen Jr., should be considered as a form of conversation. The church, after all, is a community of conversation that exists in part to interpret God's purposes for the world and to participate in those purposes. The idea of the sermon as a conversation, then, is not simply a style or form of preaching but an integral expression of the nature and purpose of the church.

When it comes to understanding a passage in the Bible, context is everything. What historical events surround a books composition? What larger literary unit is a given passage part of? What central themes explored by the book touch on the verses in question? If we dont know the answer to questions like these, we are ill-prepared to speak toand especially preach abouta passages meaning. The Preachers Bible Handbook aims to meet this need for extra help in preparing the sermon. Essays on each of the biblical books introduce the most relevant historical, literary, and theological facts about the book. Each is designed to aid the preacher in setting the stage for a sermon on any passage in the Bible.